Happy Family
by Tick-Tock Dearie Tick-Tock
Summary: Prompt of: Happy Family. - AU setting, a bit of a one shot RumBelle fluff.


**I do not own any characters found within this. **

Her wedding was eight days away, and she was standing on a platform, a maid pinning the hem of her dress with nimble fingers. Belle's dread of it all was only growing, not the contentment that her father had promised would come with his choice for her. This was not what she wanted. Her fiancé was not who she loved. In fact, Belle didn't love anyone that way. She hadn't the chance to know love at all. From the time she could walk, it was etiquette classes, formal balls, and being told what to do, who to talk to, what to wear. She was being oppressed by her father… and her life wasn't about to get any better as a married woman. This was not a freedom. This was not a liberation from her family. It was a punishment, without intention. Women had little choice. They were pawns, more than anything, and Belle couldn't stand that fact.

As her maid stood, and walked slowly around the young woman, eyeing her handiwork, Belle looked up into the full-length mirror before her. The dress was gorgeous. The white corset hugging her torso, and accentuating her bosom perfectly, and the skirt falling in a glorious array of flounces that seemed to glitter like snow. It was terrible. Beautiful, but absolutely terrible. Being told to wait there, the maid had scurried off into the other room, and Belle bit her lip. Now was the only time she wasn't flanked by guards. With the war raging, her father wanted to make sure she remained safe. Right now, was her only chance.

Hopping down off the stool, Belle ran for the door, pausing only a moment to grab her cloak. Fastening it as she dodged her way past Gaston and her father, Belle's heart was racing. Hardly believing it, she grinned widely as the cold air greeted her, as she pushed open the maids' quarters door. She was free. Free! For the first time in her life, she was free!

Making her way down to the village, taking in the sights of the market and the people, careful to keep her dress covered - least she be discovered by the guards- Belle was excited, and nervous all at once. As the sun was beginning to set, she realized that she had no where to go. No food. No money. No shelter. Disheartened, she sat on a boulder and stared at the ground, trying to think of what to do. She didn't want to go back home - she couldn't. That life wasn't for her. But what was she supposed to do now?

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, when she had heard footsteps coming closer. Her eyes widening in alarm, thinking it was the palace guards, she kept her head down, praying that they wouldn't recognize her cloak. But it wasn't them. It was a man, with blood on his boots…and a boy. Looking up, curious at the passed, Belle gasped slightly. The Dark One. She had heard rumors.

"What, dearie?" He snapped, his eyes suddenly on her.

"I…nothing, sir. I'm sorry."

"Then get off my property." The voice had a touch of malice to it now, and Belle looked at him with a wave of fear washing over her.

"Poppa!" the boy spoke up, obviously unnerved by his father's actions, "Poppa, stop. She's lost, can't you see that? She needs a home." Belle looked at the little boy with a shimmer of hope. It was good that the Dark One had someone so light in his life. It was a terrible burden for the boy, but his soul was so good and kind… Belle could see that. "I do need somewhere to sleep." She said, with a small voice.

"And we need a new maid." The boy said, looking to his father.

It was something. Not much, but better than the castle. A new life. That was if- she looked at the man before her again, noticing that there was a rich flicker of brown in his eyes, when he looked at his son. He nodded. A maid. Belle nodded and was guided inside by the boy.

Months had passed the same. Belle cleaned, and cooked the meals for them. Little by little, she learned more about them, watching them interact and seeing the hope in Baelfire's eyes, that one day his father would be rid of the darkness that dwelled in him. A curse, she had figured. What little she knew about curses… but Bae was busying trying to find a cure. They had made a promise, that if Bae could find a curse, Rumplestiltskin would do whatever it took.

While life wasn't as lavish as it was before, Belle was happy. She was allowed to go to the market, her attire changed, covering the fact that she was the runaway princess. Rumplestiltskin had asked her one night, why she had run. And she told him. There were quite a few nights when they would stay up and talk, while little Bae slept. The more often they had done that, the more Belle forgot that he was the Dark One. There was something much deeper within him, hard to find, but once she did, it was all she could see. He was still a man. And the more often they had talked, the harder Belle was falling in love with him. It was irrational. It was unexplainable. It was absolutely insane…but she was.

Bae must have noticed, and he would often leave the two of them alone for longer periods of time, or ask Belle to get him something, knowing that she would have to cross his father's path. Belle, clever as she was, figured out the young boy's tricks. Asking him why, he had said that she was the cure to his father's curse. True Love's kiss. It had thrown her for a loop. She had never done anything so monumental. She had never had a purpose… but she wanted to.

It was late one night, that Belle had summoned enough courage. Putting the few bowls in the cabinet, she was watching Rumplestiltskin at his wheel. As he was most nights. This was it. This was the moment. She had never felt like this before, not even with Gaston. She had never cared for him, the way she did for Rumplestiltskin.

Coming to his side, her hand on his shoulder, leaning in slightly, as she often did, the flicker of a smile appearing on the man's lips, as it often had.

"Baelfire tells me you have a deal struck with him." She said softly, noticing his jaw tighten slightly. He didn't like to really talk about his Curse, Belle had learned that. But the prerequisite was necessary.

"Yes." he answered, his eyes flicking towards her for a moment. She smiled softly, kneeling beside him, her hand trailing down slightly, now resting on his leg. He looked down momentarily, before turning to face her a bit more. "what of it?"

"We think we've found a cure." Her smile flourished, and without a second thought, she raised herself up, closing the gap between them, her lips soft and insistent upon his. Pulling back, Belle blinked. Nothing happened. Her heart was sinking…until…there was something! The brown in his eyes was darker, his skin lightening, Belle's eyes widened, and she reached for him again. He stilled her movements, in awe of what was happening. He was terrified. He didn't want to release the power that the Dark Curse promised. He didn't want to be the town coward again. No woman wanted to be married to a coward.

Looking at Belle, her excitement. Her warmth. The sheer amount of love in her eyes… his chest heaved, his gaze shifting to his son. He had promised him. If they had found a cure. Rumplestiltskin could live, and Bae wouldn't be hurt. But…Milah had broken him. He was terrified. There were scars on his heart, and no amount of power could heal them. But he had _promised_. And with the first kiss searing through him, he had to admit to himself that it was the best he had felt - really felt- in such a long time. Hell, if he was being entirely honest, it was the moment that Belle had smiled at him for the first time. She had slowly broken down the thick skin that he had donned. She had been on Bae's side, and his son had clearly taken to her. He had taken to her. She made him…dare he think it… _happy. _

In a moment, before his thoughts could cut off what little bravery he had, he kissed her back ardently. There was a warmth that rushed through him. Cleansed him. Released him. Pulling back, to see Belle's beautiful smile, he returned it, looking at his hands, reveling in the sight. The greenish gold sheen to them had been erased, no trace of the Dark Curse left within him.

"Belle." he said softly, reaching for her, his hand caressing her cheek, and her lips forming the most perfect smile he had ever seen.

The time seemed to blur for them all, now. Bae had friends, and would often come in late from playing, mud splashed across his face or hair. Rumple had his wheel spinning for profit once again. The gold that he had stocked up, helping to supply them, but the yarn that he spun now, softest in the kingdom, seemed to have gained the favor of the town. Belle's kindness allowed her to make friends throughout the village as well, and several people would help her carry buckets of water or whatever she needed, over the months as her belly grew with a baby. A little girl, according to an old woman, who tended to sheep.

Belle rubbed her belly fondly, watching her husband limp his way back to their home, deep in conversation with another man, laughing and jesting. It was wonderful, for him not to be feared. Or frowned upon. For Bae to feel safe. For Belle to have made a choice all on her own.

For once they had all found what they had all been looking for.

Happiness_. _


End file.
